Going Under The Knife

You got it; I need surgery.  Between pain level, doctors appointments and lab tests - I was out of work all last week.  Surgery is scheduled for Wednesday just after noon time.

On one hand - I'm NERVOUS!! I've never had to have surgery before. I've been a very lucky girl who, despite some serious asthma issues, had never had other problems.  No stiches (except when I got my wisdom teeth out), no admissions to the hospital, no major broken bones (only little ones..heeheehee).

On the other hand - I can't wait for surgery! I'm in pain, and would love to feel human again.

Many thanks to those of you who have emailed, tweeted, IM'd or otherwise checked in on me.  You are all so sweet!  Fingers crossed, the surgery is done laproscopically.  It will start that way - but I've been warned that there are a few reasons why I might have to get cut open the "old way".

In the meantime, have you entered my CSN giveaway yet?  You still have PLENTY of time!

You got it; I need surgery.  Between pain level, doctors appointments and lab tests - I was out of work all last week.  Surgery is scheduled for Wednesday just after noon time.

On one hand - I'm NERVOUS!! I've never had to have surgery before. I've been a very lucky girl who, despite some serious asthma issues, had never had other problems.  No stiches (except when I got my wisdom teeth out), no admissions to the hospital, no major broken bones (only little ones..heeheehee).

On the other hand - I can't wait for surgery! I'm in pain, and would love to feel human again.

Many thanks to those of you who have emailed, tweeted, IM'd or otherwise checked in on me.  You are all so sweet!  Fingers crossed, the surgery is done laproscopically.  It will start that way - but I've been warned that there are a few reasons why I might have to get cut open the "old way".

In the meantime, have you entered my CSN giveaway yet?  You still have PLENTY of time!

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Maple-Apple Cakelets with Calvados-Mascarpone Cream

More cakelets from our Christmas parties!  These maple apple cakelets, are adapted from a recipe in Donna Hay's Seasons book (like the pork belly).  I don't really like the whole Donna Hay concept, mainly because of her super-duper-über stylised pictures, and the tendency for her books to be unsubstantial.  But you know what, she has some really great recipes, and they are so reliable.  I think Seasons is actually a fantastic collection of recipes - the Autumn chapter is especially mouthwatering.

Not everyone likes fruity Christmas cakes or mince pies (why, oh why?), and I thought some cinnamon-spiced apple cakelets, with their white starry blobs of icing, would be a crowd-pleasing, yet suitably seasonal dessert for a Christmas party.

The original recipe is called "cinnamon sugar-coated maple apple cakes", and is in the Autumn - Sweet chapter, if you wanted to make them yourself.  Donna bakes hers in miniature bundt tins, and coats in a cinnamon-sugar mixture.  For my cakelets, I made them in mini muffin tins, and topped them with a mascarpone-calvados cream.  (Adapted, incidentally, from the mascarpone cream Nigella serves with her Venetian carrot cake).

Calvados (apple brandy) is undeniably expensive, and I wouldn't go out and buy it especially just for this cake.  But I happened to have a bottle knocking around and knew it would be perfect.  (The bottle was bought - OMG - almost exactly 5 years ago for my How to Eat project, and used in baked caramel apples, and stewed apples with cinnamon crème fraîche).

The cake is very easy to make - just a little light stirring and whisking.  In fact, the hardest thing to do is grate all the apples.

The 6 small apples stipulated in the recipe seemed like an awful lot, so I stopped grating when I got to 4 apples, as I was afraid the mixture would get soggy.  However, the dough was rather sturdy and expanded a lot in the oven, so I think it would have been fine to use all of the apples.

And here they are, all baked!  I can't remember exactly how many the recipe made, but it was a lot.  Dozens and dozens.  I baked all of these babies the night before, let them cool overnight, and iced them on the morning of the parties.

Baked

I am a pretty crap piper, but even I could manage single starry blobs of cream on each cakelet.  Well, I did need a little practice...

More cakelets from our Christmas parties!  These maple apple cakelets, are adapted from a recipe in Donna Hay's Seasons book (like the pork belly).  I don't really like the whole Donna Hay concept, mainly because of her super-duper-über stylised pictures, and the tendency for her books to be unsubstantial.  But you know what, she has some really great recipes, and they are so reliable.  I think Seasons is actually a fantastic collection of recipes - the Autumn chapter is especially mouthwatering.

Not everyone likes fruity Christmas cakes or mince pies (why, oh why?), and I thought some cinnamon-spiced apple cakelets, with their white starry blobs of icing, would be a crowd-pleasing, yet suitably seasonal dessert for a Christmas party.

The original recipe is called "cinnamon sugar-coated maple apple cakes", and is in the Autumn - Sweet chapter, if you wanted to make them yourself.  Donna bakes hers in miniature bundt tins, and coats in a cinnamon-sugar mixture.  For my cakelets, I made them in mini muffin tins, and topped them with a mascarpone-calvados cream.  (Adapted, incidentally, from the mascarpone cream Nigella serves with her Venetian carrot cake).

Calvados (apple brandy) is undeniably expensive, and I wouldn't go out and buy it especially just for this cake.  But I happened to have a bottle knocking around and knew it would be perfect.  (The bottle was bought - OMG - almost exactly 5 years ago for my How to Eat project, and used in baked caramel apples, and stewed apples with cinnamon crème fraîche).

The cake is very easy to make - just a little light stirring and whisking.  In fact, the hardest thing to do is grate all the apples.

The 6 small apples stipulated in the recipe seemed like an awful lot, so I stopped grating when I got to 4 apples, as I was afraid the mixture would get soggy.  However, the dough was rather sturdy and expanded a lot in the oven, so I think it would have been fine to use all of the apples.

And here they are, all baked!  I can't remember exactly how many the recipe made, but it was a lot.  Dozens and dozens.  I baked all of these babies the night before, let them cool overnight, and iced them on the morning of the parties.

Baked

I am a pretty crap piper, but even I could manage single starry blobs of cream on each cakelet.  Well, I did need a little practice...

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Valentine *Conversation Heart* Chocolate Bark

Time to get your sprinkles on...

I'm gonna be honest; I love conversation hearts, but I don't like to eat them.  I like to LOOK at them.


So, I figured....combine them with chocolate? Yeah, now we're talking.

I love the way conversation hearts are updated from time to time.  This year along with "Be Mine" and "Kiss Me," I saw "LOL" and "You Rock." :)

This is a quick, easy, fun Valentine treat to take to school parties, to the neighbors....or to eat wearing your jammies while watching Young & the Restless. {Not that I did that.}

Valentine Chocolate Bark

2 bags white chocolate chips (I like Ghiradelli)
2 bags bittersweet (or semisweet) chocolate chips (I still like Ghiradelli)
2 cups Rice Krispies
conversation hearts
sprinkles

Place 3/4ths of the white chocolate chips in a glass or metal bowl.  Place over a pan of simmering water and stir until melted.  Remove from heat and stir in the remaining white chocolate chips until melted. (If the chocolate is too thick, stir in some Crisco...about 1 TBSP).

Stir in the Rice Krispies.

Spread onto a cookie sheet, lined with parchment paper. (An offset spatula works great.)

Melt the bittersweet chocolate using the same method. (You shouldn't need the Crisco here.)

Using an offset spatula, gently spread over the white chocolate.

{I don't use the word "sexy" very often on the blog....or ever....but really, melted dark chocolate?  Sexy.}
 

OK.....sprinkle on the conversation hearts and sprinkles.  Let set up until hardened.


Break into pieces.

 

{I served them in a vintage muffin tin. :)} 

PS....this post is dedicated to my friends, Teresa and Kristan.  I think of them every time I reach for the sprinkles. :)

Time to get your sprinkles on...

I'm gonna be honest; I love conversation hearts, but I don't like to eat them.  I like to LOOK at them.


So, I figured....combine them with chocolate? Yeah, now we're talking.

I love the way conversation hearts are updated from time to time.  This year along with "Be Mine" and "Kiss Me," I saw "LOL" and "You Rock." :)

This is a quick, easy, fun Valentine treat to take to school parties, to the neighbors....or to eat wearing your jammies while watching Young & the Restless. {Not that I did that.}

Valentine Chocolate Bark

2 bags white chocolate chips (I like Ghiradelli)
2 bags bittersweet (or semisweet) chocolate chips (I still like Ghiradelli)
2 cups Rice Krispies
conversation hearts
sprinkles

Place 3/4ths of the white chocolate chips in a glass or metal bowl.  Place over a pan of simmering water and stir until melted.  Remove from heat and stir in the remaining white chocolate chips until melted. (If the chocolate is too thick, stir in some Crisco...about 1 TBSP).

Stir in the Rice Krispies.

Spread onto a cookie sheet, lined with parchment paper. (An offset spatula works great.)

Melt the bittersweet chocolate using the same method. (You shouldn't need the Crisco here.)

Using an offset spatula, gently spread over the white chocolate.

{I don't use the word "sexy" very often on the blog....or ever....but really, melted dark chocolate?  Sexy.}
 

OK.....sprinkle on the conversation hearts and sprinkles.  Let set up until hardened.


Break into pieces.

 

{I served them in a vintage muffin tin. :)} 

PS....this post is dedicated to my friends, Teresa and Kristan.  I think of them every time I reach for the sprinkles. :)

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

The Risotto Risk?

Risotto has a developed a bit of a bad name for itself! It's the downfall of many a reality show cook or chef, from MasterChef home cook contestants and Hells Kitchen hopefuls to even the Top Chef All Stars! It's also misunderstood: a dish made of left over rice from yesterday's curry with a few peas and can of tomatoes thrown in it is NOT! It does however, make an appearance in all my favourite magazines and cookbooks, enticing me to the challenge.

The best Risotto I have ever had was a few months ago in Venice, a seafood risotto at Ristorante Al Giardinetto da Severino. We were alerted to a longer than usual wait, but we were in no rush, so we happily enjoyed the fabulous garden restaurant with the sights and smells of the famous Venetian institution. And wow that risotto was seriously worth the wait!

It was with this last experience in mind that I went into my attempt to conquer this infamous dish! I opted for mushroom, as I found a nice recipe from George Calombaris in one of my MasterChef mags.

Mushroom Risotto, MasterChef Magazine, Issue 4, p 34

I first  boiled up many mushrooms to make my stock, and about an hour later I was ready to start. It took a little while longer than I expected for the stock to all incorporate in to the rice (longer than the 25 mins we had to wait in Venice) but I managed to plate up a great risotto for a first attempt. The rice wasn't stodgy, but moist and succulent and the mushroom flavour was delicious.

Watching the comments from Tom Colicchio on Top Chef All Stars the other day, perhaps I could have left it a little more runny as it might not have spread on the plate to his and Anthony Bordain's liking, but I was impressed by my first attempt and have removed my risotto reticence and added it firmly to my repertoire!

Risotto has a developed a bit of a bad name for itself! It's the downfall of many a reality show cook or chef, from MasterChef home cook contestants and Hells Kitchen hopefuls to even the Top Chef All Stars! It's also misunderstood: a dish made of left over rice from yesterday's curry with a few peas and can of tomatoes thrown in it is NOT! It does however, make an appearance in all my favourite magazines and cookbooks, enticing me to the challenge.

The best Risotto I have ever had was a few months ago in Venice, a seafood risotto at Ristorante Al Giardinetto da Severino. We were alerted to a longer than usual wait, but we were in no rush, so we happily enjoyed the fabulous garden restaurant with the sights and smells of the famous Venetian institution. And wow that risotto was seriously worth the wait!

It was with this last experience in mind that I went into my attempt to conquer this infamous dish! I opted for mushroom, as I found a nice recipe from George Calombaris in one of my MasterChef mags.

Mushroom Risotto, MasterChef Magazine, Issue 4, p 34

I first  boiled up many mushrooms to make my stock, and about an hour later I was ready to start. It took a little while longer than I expected for the stock to all incorporate in to the rice (longer than the 25 mins we had to wait in Venice) but I managed to plate up a great risotto for a first attempt. The rice wasn't stodgy, but moist and succulent and the mushroom flavour was delicious.

Watching the comments from Tom Colicchio on Top Chef All Stars the other day, perhaps I could have left it a little more runny as it might not have spread on the plate to his and Anthony Bordain's liking, but I was impressed by my first attempt and have removed my risotto reticence and added it firmly to my repertoire!

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

It's A GIVEAWAY - From CSN!

Guess what?  The lovely people at CSN reached out to me, and asked if I'd be interested in hosting a giveaway or doing a product review!  And, because I love you all so much - I decided to do a giveaway!

You've all heard of CSN, right?!?!  If you haven't yet, you're missing out!  SERIOUSLY!!  With 200 stores, just jam-packed with things I (and likely you) are all coveting, you can spend all day "window shopping".  I'm a huge fan of their modern furniture right now.  The rugs are right up my alley, and the modern Disney items would subtly mix into my house.

This time around, CSN is letting me give away a $40 gift certificate* towards the item of your choice.  To keep things simple, I'm not giving everyone quite as many entry opportunities as last time.

Earn 1 entry for being a blog follower.
Earn 1 entry for following me on Twitter.
Earn 1 entry for telling me what kind of goodies you'd buy with the gift certificate.

This contest will be open through Sunday, February 13th @ midnight.  The winner will announced soon thereafter.

Good luck!

*Please note that this gift certificate is not applicable towards shipping, but many items already ship for free!

Guess what?  The lovely people at CSN reached out to me, and asked if I'd be interested in hosting a giveaway or doing a product review!  And, because I love you all so much - I decided to do a giveaway!

You've all heard of CSN, right?!?!  If you haven't yet, you're missing out!  SERIOUSLY!!  With 200 stores, just jam-packed with things I (and likely you) are all coveting, you can spend all day "window shopping".  I'm a huge fan of their modern furniture right now.  The rugs are right up my alley, and the modern Disney items would subtly mix into my house.

This time around, CSN is letting me give away a $40 gift certificate* towards the item of your choice.  To keep things simple, I'm not giving everyone quite as many entry opportunities as last time.

Earn 1 entry for being a blog follower.
Earn 1 entry for following me on Twitter.
Earn 1 entry for telling me what kind of goodies you'd buy with the gift certificate.

This contest will be open through Sunday, February 13th @ midnight.  The winner will announced soon thereafter.

Good luck!

*Please note that this gift certificate is not applicable towards shipping, but many items already ship for free!

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Blogging Buddies . . . Works For Me Wednesday

If you have a blog, have you ever met another blogger in real life?   I'm lucky enough to live next-door to a real-life blogger (and host of Works for Me Wednesday...Hi, Kristen!).  And sweet Mr. E sent me to visit Cheryl (TidyMom) this summer. And, then there was Ree. :)

If you ever get a chance to meet a blogger you love, DO IT!  Believe me, it's nice to talk to someone about blogging and not have the person look at you, tilt their head to the side and say, "huh?" 

Last week, I attended my first ever blog conference. 
{And I'm still recovering.}

Thanks to my friends at Blog2Print (you know, the company that will print your blog for you as a book), I was in Nashville at Blissdom.


The opening and closing keynotes were amazing (thank you Brene Brown & Scott Stratten...I cannot express how much I loved them BOTH).

The parties were fun...and the music incredible (yes, Michelle Branch, Mat Kearney, Chris Mann & Crystal Bowersox).  {And here's a sign you're old....you have to google all of those people, other than Crystal who you voted for on American Idol.}

 

{Here's Cheryl with Chris Mann.  Aren't they both adorable?!?}

But the best part?  The highlight of the conference?  Meeting all of the lovely ladies that I've admired from afar.  The craft bloggers, the photography bloggers, the home bloggers, the mommy bloggers....

....and yes, some FABULOUS foodie bloggers.  Here are my homegirls:

 
Kristan of Confessions of a Cookbook Queen
Amy of She Wears Many Hats
Shaina of Food for My Family
Kristen of Dine and Dish (one of the very 1st food blogs I ever read!)
Aimee of Simple Bites
and, my roomie, Cheryl of TidyMom

Meeting other bloggers?  Works for me!!!  Thank you so much, Blog2Print!!!

{Have you ever met another blogger or attended a blog conference?}

If you have a blog, have you ever met another blogger in real life?   I'm lucky enough to live next-door to a real-life blogger (and host of Works for Me Wednesday...Hi, Kristen!).  And sweet Mr. E sent me to visit Cheryl (TidyMom) this summer. And, then there was Ree. :)

If you ever get a chance to meet a blogger you love, DO IT!  Believe me, it's nice to talk to someone about blogging and not have the person look at you, tilt their head to the side and say, "huh?" 

Last week, I attended my first ever blog conference. 
{And I'm still recovering.}

Thanks to my friends at Blog2Print (you know, the company that will print your blog for you as a book), I was in Nashville at Blissdom.


The opening and closing keynotes were amazing (thank you Brene Brown & Scott Stratten...I cannot express how much I loved them BOTH).

The parties were fun...and the music incredible (yes, Michelle Branch, Mat Kearney, Chris Mann & Crystal Bowersox).  {And here's a sign you're old....you have to google all of those people, other than Crystal who you voted for on American Idol.}

 

{Here's Cheryl with Chris Mann.  Aren't they both adorable?!?}

But the best part?  The highlight of the conference?  Meeting all of the lovely ladies that I've admired from afar.  The craft bloggers, the photography bloggers, the home bloggers, the mommy bloggers....

....and yes, some FABULOUS foodie bloggers.  Here are my homegirls:

 
Kristan of Confessions of a Cookbook Queen
Amy of She Wears Many Hats
Shaina of Food for My Family
Kristen of Dine and Dish (one of the very 1st food blogs I ever read!)
Aimee of Simple Bites
and, my roomie, Cheryl of TidyMom

Meeting other bloggers?  Works for me!!!  Thank you so much, Blog2Print!!!

{Have you ever met another blogger or attended a blog conference?}

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Tuesdays At The Table - Meatball Bubble Biscuits

Hi gang.  Sorry my TATT post is so late!  I know, it's completely unlike me...but I'm sick. AGAIN!!  This time, they are pretty sure that I'm either having a gallbladder "attack" or they need to take it out.  All I can say is "holy moley, I'm in pain".

Because of this, I'm having another throwback week. Back from when there weren't even a fraction of you lovelies that read and linked up to TATT.  :-)  By the way - I love, love, love reading all your recipes each week!!

Meatball Bubble Biscuits

1 can (12 oz) buttermilk or original flaky Pillsbury biscuits
10 frozen cooked meatballs that have been thawed and cut in half
2 sticks (1 oz. each) of string cheese, cut into 10 pieces
1 tbsp of grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp of italian seasoning
1/4 tsp of garlic
1 cup of marinara sauce, heated
Seperate the can of biscuits into 10 biscuits, then seperate each biscuit into 2 layers. Press each newly formed biscuit into a 3 inch round.

Place a meatball half and a piece of string cheese in the center of each dough round. Wrap around and press shut each dough round.
In an 8 or 9 inch cake pan, place each seam size down in a single layer.

Sprinkle evenly with garlic, italian seasoning and parmesan cheese.  Bake 20-25 minutes at 375.  Dip in marinara and enjoy. :-)

What's cooking in your kitchen?

Hi gang.  Sorry my TATT post is so late!  I know, it's completely unlike me...but I'm sick. AGAIN!!  This time, they are pretty sure that I'm either having a gallbladder "attack" or they need to take it out.  All I can say is "holy moley, I'm in pain".

Because of this, I'm having another throwback week. Back from when there weren't even a fraction of you lovelies that read and linked up to TATT.  :-)  By the way - I love, love, love reading all your recipes each week!!

Meatball Bubble Biscuits

1 can (12 oz) buttermilk or original flaky Pillsbury biscuits
10 frozen cooked meatballs that have been thawed and cut in half
2 sticks (1 oz. each) of string cheese, cut into 10 pieces
1 tbsp of grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp of italian seasoning
1/4 tsp of garlic
1 cup of marinara sauce, heated
Seperate the can of biscuits into 10 biscuits, then seperate each biscuit into 2 layers. Press each newly formed biscuit into a 3 inch round.

Place a meatball half and a piece of string cheese in the center of each dough round. Wrap around and press shut each dough round.
In an 8 or 9 inch cake pan, place each seam size down in a single layer.

Sprinkle evenly with garlic, italian seasoning and parmesan cheese.  Bake 20-25 minutes at 375.  Dip in marinara and enjoy. :-)

What's cooking in your kitchen?

reade more... Résuméabuiyad